Cisco Meraki Dashboard vs FortiLAN Cloud

Cisco Meraki Dashboard is a cloud platform for provisioning, configuring and troubleshooting networking and IoT deployments. From one dashboard it manages wireless, switching, routing, cellular gateways, cameras, sensors and industrial Ethernet switching. Cisco describes use across networks from small sites to distributed deployments with thousands of sites, and says zero-touch provisioning can deploy new sites in minutes. Integrated tools include ping, traceroute, throughput checks and live packet capture. The platform is API-first and includes a Networking App Marketplace with more than 350 applications, alongside partner apps, APIs and built-in integrations. Access is listed through web, API, Android and iOS; the mobile app manages organization and network administrators. Cisco states that its architecture keeps end-user traffic from traversing Meraki datacenters, while management data uses secure connections. The platform uses a PCI- and HIPAA-compliant architecture and has a stated 99.99% uptime SLA. Meraki products require valid licensing; there is no free plan, though a free trial is available.

FortiLAN Cloud is a cloud-deployed, web-based service for managing Fortinet wireless access points and switches across sites. Its Free Tier costs nothing and covers up to 30 FortiAPs, three FortiSwitches, three sites, and seven days of log storage. Devices can use zero-touch provisioning, and the service includes guest access, roaming optimization, API access, and Wi-Fi 7 support. Licensed Tiers scale with the number of sites and include one year of logs plus advanced wireless and switch features. A Multi-Tenancy License supports multiple sub-accounts and their administration, with managed service providers as its stated audience. Fortinet was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, USA. The service is accessed through the web and deployed in the cloud.